The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-02-11
Diamond Smuggling into the United
States.

IL was stated lew months ago III
an American paper that rich mans
wife wore upon her neck and breast
every evening precious stones OF the
value of 100000, other ladies display
ing Jewels to lesser amount. Nor are
American ladies free from the charge
of smuggling many of them, indeed,
are adopts at the business, able to i'm
part secret or two TO "the profession
ais" During a recent Saratoga season
one lady was heard to boast that she
had brought over suite of diamonds
in the heels of several pairs of slippers
which she had made on purpose 10
contain them. These dainty articles
were ostentatiously' displayed, and
taken notice of by the searchers. but
the heels were not suspected 10 be
hollow or TO contain diamonds Hollow
heeled boots were at one time greatly
in use as a part of the smuggling ma
chinery. That mode of carrying on
the illicit traffic was ultimately discov.
cred by an under-steward of an Amcri.
can liner, who, for "a consideration,
communicated the secret to the custom
house authorities. Then followed a
series of contrivauces in the shape of
double.bottcmed trunks, valises with
secret pockets, desks with hidden
drawers, aud guns and pistols which
were so contrived as to contain few
of the much coveted gems All these
contrvances were in uurn discovered
they were Just the kind of concealment
which the officers had their thoughts
fixed upon. Just as the customs
authorities were under the impression
that they had suppressed the illicit
traffic, new era in gem-smuggling was
inaugurated, and more diamonds reach
ed the United States "duty free than
before. Smuggling. it may be said,
developed into fine a't at all events
the incidence of the trade for brief
period lecane &C simple as to
seem like childs play ; indeed, children
were made to play an important part
in the business. A story which lately
became public shows how well the
modern diamond smugglers had laid to
heart Poe's precepts. "Please to hold
my baby whist my husband helps me
to open my trunks he will be quite
good il you will shake his rattle" said
a lady passenger to the officer who
was waiting to look over her travelling
gear. And that officer good-humo'ed
ly did as he was requested. shaking
the rattle to the great delight of the
little one. The rattle in question,
which, fastened TO ribbon, was tied TO
the childs waist, was filed with gems
of great value, mode of smuggling
that at that time was too simple for
detection. A clever female, attired in
the costume of Sister of Mercy, was
passed over by the officers because she
had no luggage worth examining.
She possessed, however, fine string
of beads which, with downcast eyes,
she kept telling. Safe on land, she
was affectionately welcomed by two
persons dressed in costumes similar to
her own. Need it be told that she was
smuggler, and that her beads were
30 constructed that each held a dia.
mond weighing seven Or eight carats
Another ingenious person hit upon the
plan of placing few precious stones
in toy kaleidoscope, which had been
given to child, who carried It ashore
in safety. A number of homing pig. |
eons kept in cages, and purchased at
village in Belgium, and brought to
the United States by way of Paris and |
Havre, also played a profitable part,
each pigeon being freighted with a
cargo of exquisite gems concealed in
quills, and carefully fastened to the
message bearing dove An extensive
system of diamond smuggling was at
one time carried on from Canadian
ground by the aid of honing pigeons.
The discovery of this illicit trade
was made accidentally by farmer, who
happened to shoot one of the birds,
and on examing it found that there
was fastened TO its leg quill contain,
ing a number of diamonds! A clue
being obtained, the local habtation of
the pigeon proprietors was discovered,
and their mode of business put an end
to. The scheme, stated simply, was
TO fly every week or ten days a flock
of dozen or fifteen pigeons, each
carrying about half dozen gems. AS
the duty on diamonds amounts to ten
per cent, the trouble taken to smuggle |
these gems into the United States
does not seem 80 very remarkable. |
The value of the precious stones hon
estly imported iuto the States is be-
tween eight and nine million dollars
per annum, and it has been calculated |
that gems TO half that sum escape pay
menf of the dntv- GHnnhoIe Io,lrn